Author
Topic: Struggles with faith (Read 2034 times)

Please pray for me. I am struggling very much with my faith. It is becoming increasingly hard for me to believe. I struggle to pray and I struggle to believe. I've struggled with severe doubts about Orthodoxy. Its progressing and it is slowly starting to cause me to question my beliefs in general. I'm near despair about where my life is going and I feel lost.

One thing that I believe I need to do is withdraw myself from the forum and most of the internet in general. I need to distance myself from "internet Orthodoxy" and internet religion in general. It isn't helping me spiritually and is actually leaving me worse off than I was.

Please pray that God may have mercy on me.

Thank you all. I hope everyone has a blessed Holy Week and an even more blessed Pascha.

My prayers are with you brother. You might indeed be wise to separate from forums and facebook and such for a while. Doubts are arrows from satan, and if you weren't a Christian then satan would not attack you like this. Doubts only come to those who believe. The godless don't agonize over doubts about God, but the faithful often do.

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" [St. Mark 9:23-24]

"Lord have mercy."

Selam

Logged

"God is a consuming fire. And His fire is love."+ Gebre Menfes Kidus +

Andrew, leave the forum if you have to, but, please do not leave the Church.

Remember, people are fallible...we are spiteful, proud, jealous and greedy...all of which comes out in our real and virtual conversations.

Don't judge the Church by her weak followers.

I wish you all the best, and may God guide you and help you in your struggles.

Logged

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

"For, by its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not." - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, I, 14.

I'm having the same struggles as you, bro. I would also appreciate prayers at this time.

The best thing we can do is to pray without ceasing, repelling every doubtful thought with the Jesus Prayer when they arise. And then keep reciting it. Fix your mind on God, always.

Lord have mercy,

GTA

Prayers for GTA as well!

Logged

"For, by its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not." - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, I, 14.

Jesus, Anointed One, Son of God, guard Andrew's heart and reveal yourself to Andrew; holy Spirit guide him into Your peace. Father, have mercy. Thank you for You for being gently compassionate with our tender souls. Holy Mother, pray for us.